Rights and Privileges
by Night's Darkness
Summary: Hoshi Sato has made a choice for herself, and refuses to let anything, even cultural differences, spoil it.


**Title: **Rights and Privileges

**Fandom:** Star Trek: Enterprise

**Rating: **PG

**Prompt: ** 103. Gentle warmth from500 prompts for hearts_blood with Shran and babies.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own, nor am I gaining any money for this work. I'm just trying to enjoy myself.

**Summary: **Hoshi Sato has made a choice for herself, and refuses to let anything, even cultural differences, spoil it.

* * *

June 3rd 2158

Lieutenant Hoshi Sato tried not to tap her foot in nervousness as she only half-listened to Commander T'Pol's description of a nearby spatial phenomenon that Enterprise would be investigating in the next few days. Across from Hoshi sat Commander Shran, the Tactical First Officer and Andorian Ambassador, and he was clearly losing his concentration as his eyes slid from T'Pol's diagrams to stare into the air. Hoshi often wondered, even after three years of working with the Andorian, if he just pretended to lose interest in the scientific talk. It was hard to say; Shran had little visible interest in scientific exploration, he repeatedly claimed he was not a scientist and seemed to find the obsessiveness of scientists irritating. However if anyone, especially T'Pol asked if he was listening, he would always give back the information they had given, even if it was days later.

Shran never forgot anything someone said or did. It was almost scary how well he could remember small incidents that had happened years and years ago.

Now, Shran blinked and looked at Hoshi who flushed a little and looked down at the table. It was stupid, but she felt like he could read her mind when he looked her in the eyes. It didn't matter that his telepathy did not work that way, just looking into his eyes sometimes made her nervous. They were so shrewd and penetrating.

Finally, T'Pol sat down and Captain Archer said, "Well, I think we have only one more matter to cover today. Hoshi?"

Hoshi's stomach lurched and she inhaled deeply before looking up at her crewmates and friends. "I, uh, I guess I have an announcement to make."

"Oooh?" Trip waggled his eyebrows at her playfully, "Sounds like big news."

Hoshi smiled and her nerves eased a little. She had no idea why she was so nervous. "I'm… I'm pregnant."

There was a moment of silence, during which Travis and Trip's expressions broke into broad grins, Phlox smiled knowingly and Malcolm's eyebrows shot to his hairline.

"You're havin' a baby? Congratulations Hoshi!" Trip was the first to get to his feet and hug her. Travis quickly jumped up and hugged her too.

"That's great Hoshi!"

"Congratulations Hoshi." said Malcolm slowly, his mind clearly trying to find a way to ask awkward questions. "Um… do you mind if I ask…?"

"The father is an old friend of mine. He doesn't want any involvement, but I've been thinking of having a baby and he offered to help me out."

"Hoshi told me beforehand of her plans to have a baby and I thought that we'd all be able to handle it." said the Captain wryly. Hoshi threw him a grateful look. Jon had been very supportive of her plans and had been thrilled for her when she told him three days ago that she was pregnant.

"Ah, I see." Malcolm looked less embarrassed now. Hoshi couldn't help but think he had been making sure he didn't have to go and defend her honour or something, like a big brother. It was cute if unnecessary.

"Congratulations Lieutenant." said T'Pol quietly. Hoshi smiled at her and looked at Shran who had yet to say a word. The Andorian had been the one she had been most unsure about the reaction of. It was less to do with the fact that Shran was 'new', after all, they had been working together for three years and Hoshi had found him incredibly helpful in her work since he was fluent in a surprising number of alien languages, and much more to do with his own culture.

Single parents were a completely unheard of thing for Andorians.

Shran's antennae were bent inwards, and he just looked confused. But he nodded to her and said,

"Good luck Hoshi."

Hoshi smiled at him.

"So when are you due?" asked Travis eagerly.

"Well, I'm 12 weeks now, so not for another 28 weeks. So in December."

"Ah, ages away! We'll need to remodel your quarters to fit a baby in there." said Trip, eyes bright with excitement. Hoshi flushed with pleasure as Travis started talking about how they could make a Starfleet Crib, while Malcolm fretted about where the baby would go during times of danger like a Klingon attack. The conversation continued on the bridge when they all moved there, with T'Pol even offering to give Hoshi some instruction on meditations that were believed to benefit the development of the foetus.

"You got any tips for healthy kids Shran?" asked Trip from his station, grinning at the Andorian who was working on something at the tactical station with Malcolm. Shran looked up in surprise, as if he had barely been listening.

"What?"

Trip nodded at Hoshi, "Do Andorians have any folk remedies for pregnancy? Healthy kids, gender predictions, that sort of thing?"

"We don't predict genders, since we don't know what gender a sprog is until they're about three years old anyway, there's not much point."

"Oh… well what traditions do you have?"

Shran looked at Hoshi, then back at Trip, "None that would be of any benefit here."

Hoshi frowned at the dismissive tone. If she did not know any better she would have thought Shran was disapproving of her pregnancy.

The talk died away soon after that, as Shran's apparent disinterest had dampened their own excitement. For the rest of the shift, Hoshi kept glancing at Shran, wondering what he was thinking.

It was not that she was seeking Shran's approval, hardly. But everything she knew about Andorians made it clear that children were very important to them, and pregnancy was celebrated. Shran was not exactly excitable like Travis, but he was usually supportive, if a bit of a drill sergeant at times. So his seeming disinterest confused her.

Maybe it would take a few days for him to get his head around it.

* * *

October 5th 2158

In the Mess Hall of Enterprise, as she was sitting down to a much needed lunch, Hoshi grunted in surprise as she felt a hard kick of a tiny foot hit near her ribs.

"You all right Hoshi?" asked Trip in concern as he half rose from his own seat.

"I'm fine. Just got a kick hello." Hoshi rubbed the offended area and sighed as she felt the baby inside her jostle and shift around. "She's trying to get comfy I guess."

"She's suspend in fluid and doesn't need to breath, isn't that enough?" asked Malcolm, with a slight flush in the cheeks as he spoke. He always got flustered whenever he spoke of Hoshi's pregnancy, as if he was not sure of his right to comment on it at all. Hoshi found it rather sweet.

"Apparently not. I'm going to have to raise this child on clouds of silk to keep her happy –oh! Apparently she agrees with me." She rubbed at the top of the bump where she had felt another kick.

"Can I?" asked Trip with his big, charming grin that few women could say no to. Hoshi nodded, and he put his hand on her bump, letting hers guide his to the right place. "Wow! Big kicks! Maybe she'll be a soccer player."

"A football player you mean." said Malcolm. Trip threw him a baleful look,

"Or maybe her mommy will just teach her Aikido and let her practise on Uncle Malcolm."

"Fine by me so long as I can teach her true English."

Hoshi giggled in amusement, her smile widening when she felt her daughter kick again.

"Uh oh…" muttered Malcolm, his smile falling. Hoshi and Trip looked around to see Shran was glaring over his shoulder at them as he stood in front of the meals laid out. When they looked he turned away, but his disapproval was radiating off him.

"Oh great." sighed Hoshi. Trip pulled his hand away, grumbling,

"Just what's Shran's problem? He's barely said or done a thing to acknowledge you're pregnant and he always gives us weird looks when we talk about it. Even when you're not around Hoshi."

"I know, I don't know why he's acting this way." Hoshi shook her head in frustration. Since announcing her pregnancy eighteen weeks ago, Hoshi had been baffled by Shran's apparent distaste for the situation. He avoided commenting on her growing bump, or anything about the baby, and he seemed extremely angry if he saw anyone else interacting with her.

"If I had to guess, maybe he doesn't approve of the fact that you're unmarried." said Malcolm carefully. "Andorians physically cannot have kids out of wedlock, so I'd imagine doing so would be rather scandalous to him."

"Scandalous? Malcolm, the guy's not exactly a conservative Andorian."

"This is a bit more than defying traditions Trip."

"Well whatever the reason, he has no business passing judgment over me and my baby!" declared Hoshi.

"Well, say so, maybe he'll stop giving us the stink eye." Trip shrugged.

Hoshi huffed and then felt mollified when she felt a hand press against her palm through her skin.

"Maybe I will. He may have his own culture, but I won't be treated like I'm in the wrong."

* * *

The more Hoshi thought about it, the more annoyed she became. Shran had never inquired after her health, he had never shown the slightest interest in her pregnancy, and every time it was brought up he seemed so offended he practically vibrated. Hoshi had no desire to be fussed over, she already had Jon, Trip and Malcolm doing that, but he seemed to go out of his way to ignore the fact in front of him.

Three years she had worked with Shran, often quite closely as he was a big help with developing her Universal Translator, since he knew so many alien languages. She knew the names of at least six of his siblings, which only Jon could probably claim to knowing too, she had been witness to Shran and Jon's strange friendship suffer a severe crisis and watched with no small amount of respect as Shran had worked to repair the damage, actually putting his own mental health at risk for it. Shran had coached her in command tactics, in case she ever needed to assume command, he had encouraged her to have confidence in herself, to the point of giving her a commendation in her record –that had earned her quite a number of jealous glares from the young Imperial Guards who she had been working with.

Shran had held her like a protective brother to keep her from freezing to death when they had gotten stranded on a frigid planet, and he had let her babble stupidly about how she would never get to be a parent, among other regrets. He had rubbed her cheeks and promised her she would live to achieve it. It had been that experience that had pushed Hoshi into making this choice.

And now Shran disapproved because of how she had gone about it?

What business was it of his? He was not human, and she was not Andorian. They were not subject to each other's customs and he had no right to behave as if he expected her to start now.

Hoshi was fuming by the time she pressed the door chime of Shran's quarters. The Andorian called her inside and she stepped in, half imagining walking in and hitting him first. Bad idea, he would probably hit her back, a downside to gender equality one could say.

Shran was sitting at his desk, working on something that obviously held his attention, because he took a second longer to see who she was than he should have.

"Oh, Hoshi. What can I do for you?"

Hoshi drew herself up and said, "Do you have a problem with my pregnancy?"

Shran's antennae curled inwards and, to Hoshi's shock, he blushed. "What?"

"I said, do you have a problem with my pregnancy?"

"No! Why would I?"

"Then why have you been glaring at me since I started showing? Why do you get so angry when others talk about it in front of you?"

Shran shifted in his seat, then stood up, wrapping his fingers around his wrist. Hoshi's hands fell from where they had been resting on her hips. After three years she knew that gesture, even if it rarely appeared. Shran only did that gesture when he was very nervous. Shran inhaled and said,

"I do not disapprove of your pregnancy. Far from it. And I was not glaring at you."

"Then who were you glaring at?"

"Today? Commander Tucker."

"Trip? Why?"

"Because he was touching your stomach." Shran's face turned a darker shade of blue and he looked genuinely uncomfortable for the first time since Hoshi had known him.

"So?"

"It's inappropriate –for Andorians."

"I'm not Andorian!"

"I am perfectly aware of that _Ensign_." His deliberate usage of her rank reminded her she was addressing someone of authority and had to watch herself, even if they were off duty. "However, I am. And I cannot help it if I see someone who has no right to touching you."

"No right?" Hoshi stared at Shran, who huffed and straightened his back, although he still seemed discomfited.

"On Andoria, no one except bondmates and their sprogs may touch a growing pouch. For Andorians, pregnancy is seen as a… private matter."

"Private?" Hoshi's voice was sharp still, but she was beginning to calm down. Shran's abnormal embarrassment was making her more curious now than irritated.

"You know of primary play and of secondary play?" Shran accepted her nod that she did, "Well, we are completely at ease with that being public, after all, it serves a public function. But… a quad mates and breeds together in private and… the sprogs made by them are theirs and theirs alone. As much a part of the quad as they are to each other, mind and body. Then they are born and they become part of the wider Conglomerate as well. But while they are incubating, they are a part of the quad. Quads don't mate in public, it is a very private thing, because it's the one and only thing that is truly yours. Your life belongs to Andoria traditionally, and legally to your Clan Leaders, your memories and your body have been shared with many others. But your bond is something totally… yours. And your sprogs are a symbol of that."

Shran looked, finally, at Hoshi's stomach, his voice had gone very soft and there was a definite longing and sadness in his tone.

"Why would you want to share something that's completely yours?" he wondered aloud.

Hoshi rested her hands on the top of her bump and said, "Because she's mine completely. I'm having her for me, and I want to share her existence with the galaxy. Besides, you say Trip has no right to touch my stomach, but he has the right. So do Travis, Malcolm, T'Pol, Phlox and Jon. Because if they were not a part of me, after eight years on this ship, I would never have found the strength to do this, have a baby, myself alone, on a starship. So Trip has a right because he has a hand in making her."

Shran's eyes were fixed on her bump completely now, while his antennae seemed to pull her words close. Finally he said,

"I suppose… that makes sense."

Hoshi narrowed her eyes and stepped closer. She reached out and took hold of Shran's forearm. He frowned as she lifted his hand and pulled it to her stomach. Shran went navy and yelped,

"What? But I don't-"

"Of course you do. You've been on this ship almost four years, of course you've earned the right."

Shran was frozen as Hoshi placed his hand on her belly and willed her daughter to move. There was a long moment, during which Shran looked so uncomfortable that Hoshi almost took pity on him and let him go. He probably would have been less uncomfortable if she had stripped naked and put his hand between her legs. And then-

"Oh!" Shran bent forward in surprise, "Was that…?"

"She's kicking." said Hoshi, smiling at her daughter's timing. Shran's antennae stretched wide in wonder and he rested his hand fully on her stomach.

"Huh! She's got a strong kick." he muttered, looking utterly fascinated. It was an expression the Enterprise Crew rarely saw in their cynical, pragmatic and almost unflappable Andorian crewmate. The kind of expression Trip got when he found a cool new bit of engineering, or when Malcolm discovered a new way to improve shielding.

After another kick from the baby, Shran pulled away, his expression not unlike a young teenage boy's after accidentally walking into a girl's changing room. Mortified and a little bit excited. It was almost cute. Hoshi tried to think of something to say, but she was unsure if Shran would welcome anything from her now.

Then Shran spoke in a soft voice,

"On Andoria… when sprogs are born, they are taken into the arms of secondaries close to the parents and the secondaries enact the First Waltz, the dance that welcomes them into life and society. It represents the waltz of the planets and the sun and the moons as they move around each other, a way of showing each life is a part of the cosmic dance." He shrugged, "When Trip asked me if there were any traditions… that's the most important one."

"Sounds beautiful." Hoshi sighed, recalling the films and real life glimpses she had seen of Andorian traditional dance, which was like a mixture of ballet and gymnastics, with a little ballroom. It was growing in popularity on Earth every year.

"It is…" Shran sighed, and his eyes shifted to the wall as if he was slipping away into faded memories. Hoshi inhaled and then said,

"Ba zirsuroka othacrar-ka izhila pachoar kaan."

Shran looked up and nodded, "Sleep in safety Hoshi." he repeated in English. Hoshi smiled and left, sleeping better than she had in a while, one arm hugging her bump.

They never spoke about it among the others, who decided to put Shran's more relaxed attitude about Hoshi and her baby down to the Andorian's mercurial nature. But occasionally, when they were alone, Hoshi would get Shran to feel the baby's movements. It was strange to see Shran shy, but that's exactly what he was in these moments, shy and awkward. It was a side that Hoshi wished he would not hide under gruffness and belligerence so much, but rather enjoyed seeing for herself alone and would be sad to see end when her daughter finally arrived.

* * *

Tsukiko Sato was born six days late, 3.4kg and healthy. Phlox had delivered the child, humming an old Japanese folksong as Jonathon had held Hoshi's hand and encouraged her as much as he could without looking down at what was happening. The one time his curiosity defied his sense of propriety, he turned the colour of a beetroot with embarrassment even as he had yelped, 'I can see the head!'.

It was a few hours before Phlox would let others pop their heads behind the curtains to see the baby. First was Trip, with Travis on his heels. Malcolm and T'Pol were next. Shran was last, almost sneaking in after the other, as if expecting to be thrown out again. Trip moved to the side to let the Andorian see into the semi-circle that had formed around the bed. Travis was holding Tsukiko in his arms, and Hoshi tried to imagine how she looked to the alien. Well, she probably looked very pink, all flushed and clean, with her dark hair and almond shaped eyes.

'She's huge!' Shran decided after a moment. Travis and Trip looked outraged and Travis covered Tsukiko's ear.

'She's teeny-tiny!' said Trip.

'Not to me she isn't.' said Shran matter of factly.

'Andorian sprogs can fit in your hand Commander.' said Phlox cheerily as he waggled a pink teddy bear in Tsukiko's face. Trip got a funny look on his face and looked Shran up and down, clearly trying to imagine him being small enough to fit in his hand. Shran did not notice, his eyes were fixed on Tsukiko who refused to open her eyes, despite Phlox's Teddy-Dance.

'Do you want to hold her Shran?' asked Hoshi carefully, unsure when exactly a sprog stop being the private creation of their parents and became a member of their Conglomeration.

Shran's eyebrow twitched but he nodded. Travis carefully passed Tsukiko to him, Trip and Malcolm fussing on either side of him.

'Watch her head!'

'Support her bum!'

'Don't hold her too tight.'

'Let her rest in the crook of your elbow-'

Malcolm's voice cut off at the end of his sentence because Tsukiko squirmed a little in Shran's arms and then opened her dark eyes and looked straight up at the Andorian. Shran stared back and then smirked. Trip pouted,

'No fair! I've been trying to get her to look at me since I got here.' Then he grinned easily.

Shran shifted Tsukiko's weight to one arm and pressed his index finger against her palm. Tsukiko grabbed hold of it at once and held on.

'Hmmm, not a bad grip for a pink-skin.' Shran muttered, antennae moving in that slow squirm that denoted wry amusement. 'Although I doubt she'll be clinging on to your uniform any time soon. Seems too floppy for that.'

'Er… no.'

Tsukiko yawned and turned her face towards Shran, making a soft noise as she shifted closer to the Andorian.

'She likes you Shran.' chuckled Archer. Shran huffed, resettling Tsukiko so he had her in one arm properly. Hoshi's heart jumped at the sight of her baby held like that, but Tsukiko snuffled and went to sleep, seemingly very comfy. Hoshi relaxed again, reminding herself that Shran would not let her daughter drop.

'So, Tsukiko, what's that mean?' asked Trip, reaching out and rubbing the back of his finger against the peach-soft cheek of the baby.

'Moon child.' said Hoshi with a grin.

'Hoshi means star, doesn't it?' Travis asked. Hoshi nodded. 'So… the Star's child the Moon? Sounds like the title of a myth.'

Hoshi smiled in amusement as Shran passed Tsukiko back to her arms and stepped back.

'I should get back to the bridge. It makes sense to have someone there… even if it isn't the most important place on the ship.' He threw a smirk at Jonathon and walked out of Sick Bay.

Soon the others left mother and child to rest and Hoshi fell asleep with a smile on her face.

* * *

Something made Hoshi wake, but she stayed still and listened. Footsteps, not quite next to her, were pacing across the metal floor.

Hoshi opened her eyes a little and then fully to see Shran holding Tsukiko in his arms, slowly walking up and down the darkened room. The hand that was supporting Tsukiko's bum was gently patting her on the back. Shran was looking down at Tsukiko, seemingly mesmerised by her, not even noticing Hoshi was awake. Hoshi watched as Shran walked the length of the room, and then turned on his heels to walk back at a sedate and calm pace.

It did not really surprise her that Shran was up. The Andorian's biology had never really fitted the human schedule, so Shran's duties often lasted longer than the rest of the crew, just to keep him busy. As they had learned, a bored Shran was a trouble-making Shran. It was a bit of a surprise that he was holding her daughter though.

'I could sense her getting fussy, but she wasn't hungry.' said Shran to the air, and then Hoshi remembered that however oblivious Shran appeared, he was always watching. Shran walked across the room to Hoshi's bedside. 'I thought you might need the rest, given what you went through.'

Hoshi smiled, 'It wasn't so bad.'

Shran did not look convinced, 'From what I've learnt about it, it didn't sound like much fun.'

'I bet your zhens don't mind.'

'Shens and Zhens find the experience of giving birth and emergence… orgasmic.'

Hoshi stared at him, wondering if he was kidding, but when he did not say more, she pouted, 'Well it's fine for some.'

Shran chuckled, 'Now you know why I didn't mention it before.'

'You mean aside from the embarrassment?'

Shran's antennae curled and he said curtly, 'Yes. That.'

Hoshi smirked and accepted Tsukiko back. 'You know, for a second I thought you were doing that First Waltz you mentioned to me.'

Shran seemed surprised, then said quietly, 'The parents request which secondaries they want to conduct it.'

'I see.' Hoshi looked down at Tsukiko's face, smiling and almost getting lost herself in staring at the little face with the still slightly squished nose. 'So… what if I asked you to do it?'

Shran was quiet for a moment, then said in an even quieter voice, 'I would be honoured.'

Hoshi offered Tsukiko to Shran again and he took her. He hesitated a moment, then said, 'Traditionally… it's done skin to skin. With your permission?'

Hoshi nodded, and watched as Shran, somehow, managed to remove his shirt, and then strip Tsukiko without putting her down. Hoshi worried if she would be cold, but thought that Shran's high body temperature would probably keep her from getting chilled.

Shran held Tsukiko in his arms and began to step. There was no music, but somehow Hoshi knew there was music in Shran's mind. He dipped and bowed and span at a sedate and careful pace, moving almost like a shadow in the dim light. There was something primal and beautiful about it, and Hoshi could see the idea of the dance reflecting the movement of the planets in the movements of Shran's body.

Tsukiko cooed in contentment as she woke up, and as Shran came to a stop, Hoshi had the strong certainty that her daughter would always be watched over by the Andorian, come hell or high water, ice, or fire.

Shran slowly walked back to Hoshi and placed Tsukiko in her arms, his bare skin brushing hers and Hoshi could _feel_ his protectiveness, and it made her chest expand with warm affection.

'Shran, do you know the human tradition of godparents?'

Shran's antennae bent forward towards her in a sign of confirmation, 'You've asked Jonathon, as I understand.'

Hoshi nodded, 'Would you consider being the other godparent? Traditionally there's at least two.'

Shran's antennae reared back and he narrowed his eyes. Hoshi's heart sank, 'You don't have to if you don't want to, I just.'

'I'm not sure I'm a suitable candidate… as I understand it, the role requires someone of fortitude and honour, a 'good man' as you would say.'

'Well, you're a good thaan. And that's good enough for me.'

Shran still did not look certain. Hoshi sighed and slipped her finger into Tsukiko's hand to hold as she said, 'I know you've done… horrible things, even if I don't know the specifics. You never made a secret of the fact. But neither are you proud of it. You did it because you had to. That honesty is the sign of a good person to me.'

Shran said nothing, and Hoshi waited. Finally he reached out, touched Tsukiko's cheek and then said,

'The first person to call me the 'godmother' is going to find themselves in the bed next to yours.'

Hoshi grinned, 'Of course.'

* * *

This may seem a bit disjointed… that's because it came out in so many different ways without once flowing properly. *sighs* Shran's such a brat!

Night's Darkness


End file.
